carefully

[ kair-fuh-lee ]

adverb

1. in a cautious way, with attention to possible risks and dangers:

   Although somewhat "folksy" in his interview, the congressman carefully avoided pitfalls where he would be vulnerable to attack.

2. in a thorough, attentive, or painstaking way, giving thought to avoiding errors or omissions:

   I have to carefully examine the copy editor's marked-up manuscript, double-checking everything and approving or vetoing changes.

Other Words From

• qua·si-care·ful·ly adverb
• ul·tra·care·ful·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of carefully¹

First recorded before 1000; careful ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

This idea is more than a decade in the making, with each step carefully studied, said co-author Kim A. Eagle, M.D., founder of the program and a director of the Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

From Science Daily

And the researchers stress their study, published in Annals of Neurology, used carefully controlled prescription medication.

From BBC

For the model, a subset of these variables was carefully selected using a combination of data-driven methods and clinician input, gathered through a survey of expert pediatric neurosurgeons nationwide.

From Science Daily

"Our team started spiking a range of carefully selected small molecules to the plasma with the aim of minimizing the interactions of highly abundant proteins with nanoparticles," Mahmoudi said.

From Science Daily

When a blizzard hits the town and leaves the parents separated from the children, their carefully planned celebrations are thrown into chaos.

From BBC

Related Words

• anxiously
• attentively
• conscientiously
• correctly
• deliberately
• delicately
• discreetly
• faithfully
• fully
• gingerly
• laboriously
• meticulously
• precisely
• prudently
• rigorously
• scrupulously
• thoroughly
• thoughtfully
• warily